This is a great way to prepare pasta without reaching for a jar of sauce! Great flavor, fun to make and everyone will enjoy. This dish is just spicey enough to be called spicey. Reduce chili pepper flakes to your liking..or add none at all. It will still taste great.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Want to make an easy pasta dish for dinner tonight? Give this one a try. We were pleasantly surprised with how much favor is in this dish. The bright cherry tomatoes and fresh basil add a sweet flavor. Red pepper flakes add a punch of spice (and can be omitted if necessary). The pasta is topped with a creamy half and half sauce that absorbs into the soft and cheesy pasta. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh crisp salad for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbcheese tortelloni (fresh or frozen)
- 20-30cherry tomatoes cut in half (about a pint)
- 1/2 largeVidalia or sweet onion sliced thin – not chopped
- 4 clovegarlic, sliced thin lengthwise
- 2 Tbspolive oil
- 1 tspsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper or twenty twists of fresh ground
- 2 dash(es)ground nutmeg
- 2 largesprigs fresh basil (10-15 leaves per sprig)
- 1/4 tspchili flakes
- 2 cpasta water, reserved after boiling
- 2 Tbspbutter
- 1 chalf and half
- 1 Tbspcorn starch
How to Make Tortellini à la Cherry Tomatoes
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Prepare a large pot of boiling water to boil your tortelloni.
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While that’s heating, in a large sauté pan, add the olive oil (or any light neutral-flavored oil… I use grape-seed oil) and heat on medium heat. Toss in the onion sliced, garlic, chili pepper flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 large sprig of fresh basil leaves separated from the stalk, & tomato halves. Saute on medium to heat for about 20 minutes, switching to med-low halfway. You want to keep your onions translucent or golden, but not browned. Add the two Tbsp butter here at this point. You want to start to see liquid at the bottom as you are stirring.
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Drop your tortelloni in the ready and waiting boiling cook 3-4 min. If frozen, you may want to cook a couple of min longer. Remove from water quickly with a large slotted spoon into the saute pan with the other ingredients. Save the pasta water! Turn the heat on your sauté pan back up to medium.
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Take one cup of the pasta water and add to the saute pan. Stir the pasta and the other ingredients gently so the tortelloni don’t break. Let this simmer for 2 min.
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Mix corn starch into one cup half and half so it is dissolved completely. Pour into pasta mixture. Toss gently a few times. You will see the sauce quickly start to turn into a glaze that sticks to the tortelloni within 1-2 min. If your sauce is thicker than you like, add another 1/2-cup of pasta water and toss. Remove from heat. At this point, you’re ready to serve!
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Serve each plate (or bowl) with freshly grated cheese, add 2-3 drizzles of olive oil, and decorate with fresh basil leaves.
